Systems and methods for performing transcranial ultrasound therapeutic and imaging procedures

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for performing transcranial diagnostic procedures using a transcranial ultrasound transducer array. The array elements are positioned and oriented such that far field regions respectively associated therewith spatially overlap within the brain of a patient. The array elements may be oriented approximately normal to the skull, permitting efficient coupling of ultrasound energy into the brain. The array elements are controlled to generate ultrasound pulses, where the timing of the pulses is controlled, based on registration between the array elements and volumetric image data, such that ultrasound energy is focused at a target within spatially overlapping far fields of the array elements. The transcranial ultrasound transducer array elements may be positioned and oriented relative to the skull such that their respective ultrasound beams are focused within the skull and diverging with the brain.

1 . A system for performing diagnostic or therapeutic transcranial ultrasound procedures, the system comprising:
 a support frame configured for placement around a head of a patient;   a plurality of transcranial ultrasound transducer array elements supported by said support frame, wherein said plurality of transcranial ultrasound transducer array elements are supported in pre-selected positions and orientations relative to said support frame for transmitting ultrasound through a skull of the patient such that:
 respective individual foci of said plurality of transcranial ultrasound transducer array elements are spatially separated; and 
 far field regions respectively associated with said plurality of transcranial ultrasound transducer array elements spatially overlap within a far field overlap region located within a brain of the patient when said support frame is placed around the head of the patient.